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Remove our children from solitary confinement | Opinion

Precious Chavez
Your Turn
A solitary confinement cell known all as "the bing," at New York's Rikers Island jail.

A random snapshot on May 3, 2019, showed the Florida Department of Corrections holding 3,360 people in solitary confinement. 66 of them were 19 years old and younger. This is the dark reality of the sunshine state.

According to the Prison Policy Initiative, Florida has the 13th highest incarceration rate in the United States.

The Florida Department of Corrections spends over $2.2 billion to imprison more than 80,495 people. Of all of those incarcerated by the Florida Department of Corrections, more than 10 % are in solitary confinement. Solitary confinement is a practice used routinely to isolate people in a 60 square feet cell for weeks, months, and years.

Of all the youths incarcerated, the Florida Department of Corrections places approximately 26% of them in solitary confinement. Children as young as 12 years old are denied mental health resources, education, recreation time, personal visits, and phone calls.

While the consequences of solitary confinement are detrimental to any person’s physical and mental health, the effects of solitary on youths are more consequential. Studies show that isolation during adolescence freezes the developmental process of youths and exacerbates paranoia, anxiety, and depression.

The U.S. Department of Justice found that half of incarcerated youths that die by suicide take their lives while in solitary confinement and 62% were in solitary confinement at some point before their death.

Outside of the mental and physical consequences of solitary confinement, it also fails to improve public safety. According to a study conducted by the ACLU, solitary confinement contributes to recidivism, as individuals placed in solitary confinement are more likely to commit crimes after their release.

There are advocates across the state pressuring the Florida Department of Corrections to stop placing youths in solitary confinement. Rather than authorizing solitary confinement, the Florida Department of Corrections should follow states like Maine, New Mexico, and Washington and employ reformative practices like rewarding good behavior and encouraging de-escalation techniques.

This legislative session Rep. Michele Rayner and Sen. Annette Taddeo proposed similar bills, House Bill 765 and Senate Bill 1934, both of which prohibit the Florida Department of Corrections from placing youths in solitary confinement.

While a step in the right direction, similar bills have been proposed in the past and none have gained any traction.

Be on the right side of history. Speak for those that have been silenced. Contact Rep. Robert Brannan, Chair of the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee, at (850) 717-5010 and Sen. Jason Pizzo, Chair of the Criminal Justice Committee, at (850) 487- 5038 to offer your support for House Bill 765 and Senate Bill 1934.

To learn more, watch the interview developed by the Public Interest Law Center, at Florida State University College of Law at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GymFj0BOEkE.

The interview shares the story of Catherine Jones, a previously incarcerated person held in solitary confinement at 14 years old.

Precious Chavez

Precious Chavez is a final-year student at Florida State University College of Law. She is a Certified Legal intern at the Human Trafficking and Exploitation Law Project at the Public Interest Law Center.

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